1982 BMW 323i Baur

Memorial Day 2010 First Drive 1982 323i BMW Baur Lapisblau M20 5 speed #4154 of 4595 made. The car was imported to California by Dietel Enterprises. I have since changed the wheels, installed the clear turn signal lenses, and I am in the process of installing a new cabriolet roof. I have to do something about those bumpers, too. :) I love this car! To see one of the reasons why, check my post "Score One For the Good Guys" on 6/26/2011.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

WTF Dept.: Honey, The Car Melted!

Just when you thought it was safe to park your car outside! Thanks to Jalopnik for this scoop!

Nicknamed the Walkie-Talkie, 20 Fenchurch Street in London's busy financial district turns out to be a giant magnifying glass parabolic reflector as well as a 37-story skyscraper, melting cars and forcing pedestrians to shield their eyes on the street. The most recent casualty is this Jaguar XJ.P

It only took an hour of parking on the street for businessman Martin Lindsay to end up with a Jaguar that had most if its plastics melted beyond repair. He is not the only one. Another unlucky driver came back to his van only to find a melted dashboard and a twisted bottle of Lucozade in the cabin.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BTKsl5qCMAAoVDq.jpg

P

The building's developers so far have only managed to close three parking bays with the help of the City of London.P

Naturally, Londoners have already given a new nickname to this very bright building, which shall be known from now on as the Walkie Scorchie.P

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Thanks to BMW Germany and Baur, I have the total production numbers from Baur. Over a period of five years (1978-1982) a total of 4595 Baurs were produced. Production peaked in 1981, when a total of 1157 cars were converted that year. Given the limited production, a true Baur is a rare thing. Here's a graph that shows the production on a per-year basis: